## Chapter 187 – Collusion (End)
As Ryu entered the academy alone, he could tell that the gazes directed at him were markedly different. Ryu examined his appearance again. Lahart had healed his wounds, but there was nothing he could do about his torn clothes. Was the change in attitude due to his ragged appearance? Ryu could only continue walking, unaware that the gazes were filled with awe or admiration.
Whether he liked it or not, he had become one of the most famous people in the academy. Not only had he defeated Claire, who was known as undefeated, but he was already being scouted by several demon lords. He was already a distant existence to ordinary students.
Well, he was a student whom Low had personally brought in with special privileges. The general consensus was that he had to show at least this much. People tend to either admire or envy those who have what they cannot. Fortunately, there were far more of the former type of people in the academy.
Whispers followed him as he walked down the hallway.
He couldn’t quite make out what the students were saying. Perhaps it was because he was afraid of knowing the truth and closed his ears preemptively. Hiding himself as a defense mechanism against negative emotions was what he did best.
Being the subject of rumors wasn’t pleasant. Especially for Ryu, who had only received attention from the demon lords until now. After wading through the crowds and the sea of conversations, Ryu finally arrived at the student council room and straightened his clothes before entering.
He carefully opened the door with a click—a clean sound that let light flood his vision. Then, he heard Claire’s calm voice.
“You’re here?”
Claire, who had been standing by the window, looked quite neat. Her injuries weren’t very visible, and she seemed to have changed into a new uniform. Ryu was momentarily speechless, alternating his gaze between her and himself.
Judging by appearance alone, Ryu looked more like the loser. Claire pointed to the table in front of her and said,
“Sit down. I just brewed some tea.”
Claire soon brought two cups of tea and placed one in front of Ryu. The vibrant green tea shimmered, emitting a strong aroma. He was taken aback by the different color compared to the drinks he had at the mansion, but he didn’t show it. Ryu cautiously took a sip and was satisfied with the rich, savory taste that filled his mouth. Claire smiled at the sight.
“Judging by your expression, you seem to like it.”
Claire leaned back deeply into the sofa and stared intently at Ryu. Feeling the intense gaze, he shifted his eyes and spoke first.
“What did you want to talk about?”
“Are you getting straight to the point? I wanted to have a casual conversation first.”
“Ah, then I don’t mind doing that.”
A little conversation wouldn’t take too long. Claire held her teacup in her hand, gazed at its surface, and opened her mouth.
“It reminds me of the past. Like when I asked if you had any thoughts of joining the student council?”
Thinking back, there was such a thing.
“It’s funny. Asking someone stronger than me if they want to work under me.”
“Th-that’s not true. I won because…”
Ryu stopped there and closed his mouth tightly. It was a match where they risked everything. Saying he was lucky would be very rude to Claire. Perhaps Claire noticed the unspoken words, as she let out a hearty smile and said,
“You won simply because you’re stronger than me. There’s no other reason.”
Claire looked Ryu up and down before asking cautiously.
“What kind of training did you do to get so strong in such a short period? You definitely weren’t this strong a week ago.”
As he recalled that day, a chill ran down his spine. Just thinking about it made him feel like all the energy was draining from his body. It was something he never wanted to experience again. Claire laughed at the sight.
“I think I have a rough idea.”
He decided to take advantage of the comfortable atmosphere to ask what he had been curious about.
“Why did you stay here even after winning so many championships, Senior? You could have chosen any district and left, couldn’t you?”
Claire’s demeanor changed noticeably upon hearing Ryu’s words. She didn’t even bring the teacup to her lips, but placed it on the table and asked,
“This might be a long story, is that okay?”
The story wouldn’t take all day. Ryu nodded. Claire began to speak as if she had been waiting for this.
“It’s embarrassing to say this myself, but I was born into a pretty good family.”
He had been guessing. The grace and every gesture she displayed felt different from ordinary students. Like someone who was born to stand above others.
“But is being born into a good family really happiness? If I could have chosen happiness, I would never have been born there.”
This was somewhat shocking to Ryu, who had only known the confines of a narrow cage. But he couldn’t presume to judge her past, which he couldn’t even imagine. Now was the time to simply wait until she had said everything.
“A strict environment, a suffocating atmosphere. Sisters who only saw each other as rivals. Parents who evaluated every little action and spewed insults. Sometimes, I wonder why I realized so late that the fate of having my own sisters come to assassinate me and having to cut them down was strange?”
Ryu, who had endured wind, rain, and violence with his siblings even in a trash-like environment, couldn’t understand the idea of being at odds with his family and trying to kill each other.
“When I was a child, I didn’t decide anything for myself in that cycle. I moved as my parents wanted, and when they came to kill me, I would just kill them. The parents subtly mentioned which district would be good for me to go to after I kept winning at the academy, but I ignored all their words. From the family’s point of view, it must have been difficult to ignore the opinion of the only one left after killing all the sisters. Yeah, maybe it was a rebellion against everything I had done until now.”
Ryu held back his words. Claire smiled faintly again at the sight.
“It’s okay. It’s already been over 10 years. You really are…”
Claire trailed off and shook her head from side to side. Shaking off the past wasn’t easy. Ryu knew that better than anyone. Until a few days ago, he had been using the name 25, which was just a product number, to not forget the life he had with his brothers.
Claire needed it.
Just like Aser, Charlotte, Low, and Hilda, who had made him Ryu, 25 needed relationships to support him. People are frustrated in tangled relationships, and at the same time, they gain the power to move forward.
Claire showed a sad expression to someone for the first time. Tears didn’t well up. It was the first time she had shown someone her flaws, like festering scars buried in her heart.
“Relationships in the name of family are heavier than you think. Sometimes, even knowing that strangers are better than family, I couldn’t escape from that long-standing, collusive relationship. I was tired of everything that bound me. Demon lords? Student council? Academy? None of it even moved me. Maybe I was already broken when I killed my sisters and dug the dirt myself to make a grave for them, a grave not even as good as the dog I raised.”
Ryu, who had been listening to her quietly, opened his mouth briefly.
“Do you regret it?”
“Regret? Even that free will was a luxury for me. Regretting what happened is clinging to past choices. I was just turning a blind eye to the past and running away like a coward who didn’t even have the right to regret.”
Claire’s expression gradually changed to indifference.
But why? Ryu honestly expressed the emotions he was feeling now.
“But right now, your expression just looks… very sad.”
At the same time, Claire’s body trembled greatly.
“I look sad?”
She unconsciously stroked her face with her hand. Tears didn’t well up. Her eyebrows didn’t furrow, and her lips didn’t twist. Claire’s emotions were greatly shaken by Ryu’s words that she, who was wearing a more peaceful expression than ever, looked sad.
“Yeah, I guess that’s how I look to you.”
After finishing speaking, Claire stood up from her seat and realized that it was her turn to answer Ryu’s first question.
“You asked why I didn’t go to the other demon lords’ districts, right?”
Ryu nodded.
“I wanted to choose the person I would follow for the rest of my life myself. I didn’t want to work like a cog next to someone who had already achieved everything. Because to them, I would feel like just a part that could be replaced at any time. Instead, I wanted someone who could grow alongside me, someone who could see me for who I am. It wasn’t by my own will, but I chose this life, and because it’s now something my other sisters couldn’t enjoy, I actually want to live more happily and freely than anyone else.”
After finishing speaking, Claire pushed the table away and stood in front of Ryu.
“And I’m now making a choice with my own will for the first time.”
“Ryu, from this moment on, you are…”
Claire, who had finished speaking, knelt down and held Ryu’s hands with both of hers. It was as if she was praying.
“No… only you are my god.”
